Google Duo Review: Simple video calling app

The very impressive and promising simple one-to-one video calling app from Google I/O 2016, Google Duo is now available to public across the world on Android and iOS. As the app is tied to your phone number its is not available for the devices without SIM card like iPads. This is all about Google Duo Review.

The wonderful feature of Google Duo is it streams and shows the video from the caller phone to the called person even before joining the call, you can observe that in the video below. As per Google, the video and audio quality will be great irrespective of the internet connection on the phone. Lets see how simple and effective is this new kid in the list of video calling apps and also whether Google Duo give competition to Microsoft Skype?

Google Duo Review

You can download the app on Play store. When you launch the app after the installation is done, you will ask to enter your phone number, remember this app is tied with your phone number just like WhatsApp. You will receive an SMS to confirm the number you have entered for verification. After that, the app strait away shows the calling interface by showing you on the screen, any one remember FaceTime? its just like that, starts your front camera and shows the calling button at bottom middle. Tap it. and you can see who are having Duo in your contact list. And you can call them. If the contact you are trying to call is not having the Duo app, Invite them right from there.

Ok. all the mumbo jumbo is over. How good is the video and audio quality?

The video and audio quality is pretty decent and really better then the Hangouts. Impressively, the famous lag in both Hangouts and Skype is not found in both audio and video on modest wi-fi connection when compared.

The interface is very simple to use and gives a great experience. The Duo app is very simple and stick to what it says ‘simple one-to-one video app’. Some people may get disappointment for expecting loads of features. Apart from the video appearing on the receivers end before joining the call, remaining is pretty basic and straight forward.

Google is not in way to monetise this app any time soon, its free and available on iOS and Android mobile phones only. The iPhone users who are looking to have a FaceTime like video calling experience with their Android contacts, Google Duo is the closest you can have.

As the public availability of the Duo app is just two days, we cannot judge right now on how this app can be better than other apps like Skype and FaceTime. The App is very good and has potential, lets see how this goes into future.